


Reaching Across the Milky Way Gaiden

by Bigimotik



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Adventure, Aged-Up Character(s), Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Animal Death, Arranged Marriage, Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, Drama, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Gen, Getting to Know Each Other, Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Torture, Inu Youkai (InuYasha), Kaiju, Major Character Injury, Mind Control, Minor Character Death, Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s), Other, Post-Canon, Series, Slow Build, Time Travel, Unrequited Love, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:00:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26678626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bigimotik/pseuds/Bigimotik
Summary: After the Shikon no Tama disappeared, Sesshoumaru left Rin in the village to give her the chance to choose her future. Rin is now a young woman, ready to make her own decisions. When the two are reunited, will they be able to understand one another? Set in the future after Inuyasha.An alternate retelling of Reaching Across the Milky Way.Cover art here - https://www.deviantart.com/bigimotik-cosplay/art/Reaching-Across-the-Milky-Way-Cover-Title-836231460
Relationships: Kohaku/Rin (InuYasha), Rin & Sesshoumaru (InuYasha)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 13





	1. New Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Reaching Across the Milky Way](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6799453) by [Bigimotik](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bigimotik/pseuds/Bigimotik). 



> October 2020
> 
> Eight years ago I set out on a mission to try to write a realistic and (at the time) canon-compliant story about how Rin and Sesshoumaru’s relationship. 
> 
> At that time, I was focused on exploring what a romantic connection would look like, taking inspiration from existing works like Jane Austen’s Emma and Pride and Prejudice where the main characters find love despite an age difference and some pretty severe character flaws on both sides. 
> 
> The result was the Reaching Across the Milky Way series (Thinking in a New Light, Reaching Across the Milky Way, Light at the End of the Day), which was finished in June 2020. 
> 
> Over the past few months, amidst the hype for Yashahime (and wild speculation as to the mother of Sesshoumaru’s two children), my interest was piqued. What if Milky Way went another route? One where Sesshomaru and Rin developed a stronger familiar bond, rather than romantic relationship. What would the story look like then? 
> 
> And so, dear readers, we set off again with the same story as a starting point, but now with an alternate trajectory. I have no idea where this is going to go, but I’m excited to find out and I hope you are too. 
> 
> And now, I tentatively present: Reaching Across the Milky Way Gaiden
> 
> Bigimotik (formerly ksmurf)
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I do not claim ownership of any content or characters from Inuyasha. Any original content or characters that resemble persons or places real or fictitious is purely coincidental.
> 
> NOTE ABOUT CANON COMPLIANCE: Compliant to the original Inuyasha series; may or may not be compliance with Yashahime. 
> 
> WARNING: The original Milky Way contained canon-consistent themes for violence, blood, mental and physical assault, and other mature topics. I assume that Milky Way Gaiden will be the same. Rating will start at Mature to be consistent with the original Inuyasha rating (older teen, or R). While I have tried to tag as many specific content warnings as possible, the list is not exhaustive. In general, if you were okay reading or watching the Inuyasha series, you should be okay to read this story.

The warm, dry breeze ruffled Rin's hair as she made her way down the dirt road. She re-adjusted her straw hat to keep the shade on her face. It was no concern to her if she freckled, but Kohaku and Shippo would never let her hear the end of it if she came back tanned like an old, leather hide.

She glanced up at the sun's high position in the sky. She would have plenty of time to reach the village, even with a break for a midday meal. Spotting a tree just off the side of the road, she made her way to the space beneath the green branches and set down her bags. She leaned against the trunk and rummaged through her things until she found a few rice balls.

As she ate her snack, Rin looked out across at the countryside, taking in the distant mountains and admiring the white clouds drifting lazily across the sky. It was days like this that made traveling worthwhile: just wilderness, wildlife, and rice balls. Her very own adventure. 

* * *

Ever since Naraku had been defeated, Rin had lived in that little village with Kaede, Kagome, and the others. But after six years, the peaceful pace of that life started to chafe. 

She’d always assumed that Sesshoumaru would sweep in one day and they would begin to traverse the world as they once had, exploring the far reaches of the world, fighting demons and discovering new wonders. And thus, she waited. 

By her fifteenth summer, his presence had devolved into little more than pretty kimonos that arrived in time for a festival or a holiday or no specific occasion at all. It became quite clear that her patience would bear her no fruit and so she had begged Kaede for any task that would carry her away from the boredom that awaited her at home. 

The old priestess, worried and yet, at the same time, aware that Rin’s peers in the village were quickly becoming adults themselves, finally decided to give the girl some additional responsibilities. Several requests had come from neighboring villages or medicine and small spiritual items. Would Rin be able to deliver and provide any aid as needed? 

Rin accepted first that request, then a second and a third. When those requests ran dry, she clamored for more. She entreated Kaede to let her go further and further away from their quiet little village. 

Kaede put her foot down: with winter on the way, it was too dangerous. Rin protested at first until Kagome and Kohaku distracted her with training on medicine and combat. As the winter months passed, she fell into a new routine, honing these skills by helping defend the villagers and tending to the sick or injured. 

Winter melted into spring and spring melted into summer. Rin’s itch for excitement returned, now stronger with her heightened confidence in her new abilities. Alas, she was kept close to home, tending to the closest hamlets and villages, well within range of Inuyasha should something go awry. She felt she might go mad. 

It wasn’t until nearly the end of the summer that news from a remote region arrived: a number of the settlements had been hit hard by the winter, followed by a disastrous crop season. They requested favors of the legendary priestesses, primarily healing skills and medicines. 

Neither Kaede, too old to make the journey, and Kagome, expecting her second child, were in a position to make the journey. Rin jumped at the chance to deliver the items instead. 

* * *

That had been a few weeks back. Rin had been battling high temperatures and even higher humidity as she made her round. Now, she would be returning home after one final stop on the road. 

Wiping the rice crumbs from her face, she packed her items and prepared to leave. The warm wind blew some wisps of her in her face. She took one last look at the landscape and then set out.

She traveled for the rest of the day and the sun was already setting by the time she arrived in the village.

On the edge of the settlement, there was little sign of life. Burnt debris littered the ground and skeletal structures remained where homes had once stood. Rin quickly lifted her kimono sleeve to cover her face; the air was rank with decomposing material. Not far away, laid the form of a small animal, clearly a family pet. She blinked back tears as she surveyed the area. 

She was no stranger to destruction and suffering, but that didn't make it any easier to stomach.

Rin pressed on and within a few minutes, she had left the graveyard behind. The buildings here were standing, but appeared to be held together with a patchwork of replacement wood. There were no people in the streets, but she could see signs of light behind closed doors and windows.

Looking for someone to speak to, Rin spotted an elderly man making his way down the path that ran through the center of the village. She quickened her pace and caught up with the old timer.

"Excuse me, do you know where I might find the leader of this village?" Rin asked in her best business manner.

The old man stopped and replied, "I am he. What business do you have with us?"

Rin pulled her straw basket from her back and opened the lid. "I come from Kaede-sama and Kagome-sama, bearing medicines and some small spiritual relics."

"Who are they?" The village elder frowned in confusion. "You'd best be on your way; we have no money for a peddler's wares."

Closing the lid on the basket, Rin explained, still maintaining her professionalism, even in the face of the old man's slight to her mentors. "Kaede-sama and Kagome-sama are powerful priestesses. There had been requests from this region for medicines and small talismans. I bring those items on their behalf."

The old man’s brow furrowed even further. “Well, I don’t recall any Kaede or Kagome. You had best be off - we cannot accept these items, regardless of the good intention.” He swept his arm to gesture at the village, "We have been attacked by bandits throughout the winter and now we have next to nothing. We have no means to pay you."

Rin smiled. "The priestesses do not require payment; just knowing that these were of use to you is more than enough for them."

"You would mock us and our strife?" Rin glanced as the old man's voice rose. "We may not have anything, but we still have our pride. Do you think we are so far gone that we cannot get by without the pity of some unknown busybodies?"

Despite having had this conversation many times in the past four months, Rin was still getting irritated. "Kaede-sama and Kagome-sama do not care about getting paid. They just want to know that they were able to help you all in your time of need."

The old man glared, "And I am stating that we do not need a stranger's charity!"

By this point, their raised voices were drawing curious glances from doors that had suddenly become propped open.

Rin dropped her professional pretense. She understood that it was embarrassing to accept generosity from someone outside the village, and even more so to receive it gratuitously. That being said, this man's stubbornness was frustrating.

"I meant no offense, but I cannot leave this village without providing you with assistance." Rin smiled. "Do you think we could come to some sort of arrangement, perhaps some food and a place to stay for the night in exchange for some medicine?"

The old man seemed about to object, but a young couple leapt out from one of the homes, bearing a sick child. "Please! We'll give you some food, just please, help our son."

Rin turned to look at the child, whose breath was shallow. His skin had light sheen from his fever-induced sweat. "Please show me to your home. I'll administer the remedy there."

They hurried back to the couple's house, but several other families were looking on from the doorway and windows. Everyone clustered around as Rin crushed several of the herbs from her store and mixed them into a tea. Carefully, she fed the draught to the child. After a few minutes, the boy's breathing became regular and his complexion regained some color.

Rin wrapped some extra pieces of the herb in a piece of paper and handed them to the mother. "Crush these and add them to his tea at least twice a day. He should be alright in a couple days."

The mother and father bowed low. "Thank you! We didn't know what to do when he collapsed."

"It really is no trouble. " Rin felt a tug on her kimono and saw a small child who had snuck in. "What is it?"

"Will you look at my mommy?" The little girl's eyes were filled with worry.

Rin nodded. "Where is your mother?" The little girl gestured outside the house, so Rin packed up her things and readied to follow the child.

Just before she stepped out, the mother of the boy stopped her. "Please, when you are finished, come back. We will give you food and shelter for the night, to repay you for what you've done for our son."

"Of course," Rin smiled and then set out to help.

Hours later, Rin returned exhausted from treating many of the villagers. She could barely stay awake during the meal and was grateful when her hostess showed her to a futon. Minutes after she dropped into bed, her eyelids grew heavy and she was asleep soon after.

* * *

In her dream, Rin was young again, traveling through a field of golden flowers. Looking around, she could see Inuyasha’s village in the distance and in front of her, a familiar figure. 

Tall, with silken white hair drifting in the breeze, and a purposeful step - those were traits she would recognize anywhere. “Sesshomaru-sama!” 

The Lord of the Western Lands did not turn around and Rin scurried to keep up. Then suddenly, the field of flowers vanished. Confused, she examined her surroundings and realized that the withered husks of plant life, the bare trees, the absence of animal sounds, was exactly like when Naraku’s miasma had destroyed all living things. 

How could that be? Everything had since grown back. 

Not wanting to fall behind, she quickly trotted after Sesshomaru, but he turned around and said, “Rin. Stay here.” 

Rin shook her head and started to run. "Wait, Sesshoumaru-sama, don't leave Rin here!" She tripped on a stone and fell, but landed on soft grass. The village was green again. This must have been three years after the jewel had disappeared, just before Kagome returned.

She picked herself up and ran after Sesshoumaru. He was even farther away. He turned again and held out a hand to her. Eagerly, twelve year old Rin reached out as well, but before she could get close, he said, "I must go away on business. I do not have time to visit you." Then he turned and continued walking.

"Wait! Sesshomaru-sama! It's okay if Sesshoumaru-sama does not have time to visit Rin! Rin can wait!" Just as she started to gain on him, she stepped into a river and found herself submerged. When she surfaced, time again had passed. Rin's fifteen-year old self clamored out of the water. Off to the side, the lights of the village festival glowed in the distance.

Sesshoumaru spared her a glance and her clothing was suddenly replaced with a gorgeous kimono. He turned away for a final time. " _ Sayonara _ , Rin."

"Sesshomaru-sama!" Rin called after him, but the dream had dissolved into a watery confusion.

A sudden clamor outside startled her awake. Outside the sounds of harsh yells mingled with terrified screams. She silently crawled out of bed, towards the window, and peeked into the darkness.

The street was filled with villagers, running in fear. There were also strangers, with armor and weapons. One stopped and turned to look straight at Rin, who dropped below the edge of the window sill.

Bandits!

She looked to the other occupants of the house, and found them huddled in a corner. Rin moved closer to them, but was only halfway when a figure in the doorway cast his shadow into the room. Rin recognized him as the bandit from only moments before who had spotted her through the crack in the window.

He reached forward and grabbed Rin by her hair. "Well aren't you a pretty one?"

Rin winced as he pulled on her hair and called out to the family, "Go! I'll keep him busy!" They hesitated. "Go! I'll be fine."

The bandit swung his axe to block their escape. "No one's going anywhere."

Rin reached into her obi and pulled out a small, sheathed knife. Quickly, she thrust the blade down into the man's foot, while reaching towards his face with her nails. Cursing, he staggered back, clutching his eyes and reaching to pull the knife out.

"Go, now!" Rin shouted at the clustered family. The couple gathered their son and ran out the door. Rin scrambled to the door as quickly as she could.

Just a few steps from the door, the bandit grabbed her again. This time, he held Rin's knife against her throat. "I'd like to see you try that again, girlie."

Rin bit into his arm hard, causing him to loosen his grip. She twisted out of his grasp and started running into the forest.

The forest was dark, but she had sure footing. She slowed her pace and turned to look back at the village. She needed to double back soon, to see if she could help any of the other villagers escape.

She crouched behind a tree and surveyed her options. Fires were breaking throughout the village and all the villagers were fleeing into the woods, many under pursuit by bandits. It looked like the far end of the village was largely unaffected. If there was a chance of saving anyone, it was there.

Preparing to head out, she stood and turned. A large branch swung out of the darkness, aimed at her head. She lost her balance as the blow connected and dropped to the ground.

The bandit stepped out of the shadows gripping the branch menacingly. "I found you, girlie."

Rin tried to focus on the man in front of her, but her vision was blurry and everything was spinning. She felt her instincts telling her to flee and she dragged herself a couple of feet away from the man, but the man's foot came down hard between her shoulder blades. She winced as he dug his heel into her back.

"I don't think so." He pulled his axe off his back. "You're a feisty one, that's for sure. I didn't think you'd pull that stunt with the knife." Raising the axe above his head, he grinned wildly "Normally, I'd say we should have a little fun, but you've made me mad, girlie, and I don't forgive, or forget."

Still disoriented, Rin clawed at the ground in front of her, looking for something that could be used as a weapon, but found nothing. She closed her eyes tightly and waited for the fall of the axe to bring the darkness.

But instead she felt the pressure from her back disappear and then heard an uncomfortable gurgling noise a short distance away. Suddenly, she felt herself being lifted off the ground, a maneuver that sent spots in front of her eyes. She could feel the cold steel of armor on one side and the warmth of cloth on the other, but her vision was still blurry.

With great effort, Rin turned her head upwards, to see who her hero (or captor) was. Feeling the darkness of unconsciousness creeping in, Rin caught only a glimpse of white hair and golden eyes. Relief washed over her as she relaxed and let herself fall asleep.

"Sesshomaru-sama…"

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: 
> 
> Here are we again folks! 
> 
> For those that have read Reaching Across the Milky Way - welcome back. This is an alternate telling of the story where Rin and Sesshoumaru have a completely different type of relationship. 
> 
> I expect the plot to be largely the same, but based on the changes I already had to make to the first chapter, this may look completely different by the time we reach the end. Since this is a retelling, I hope the chapters will come faster, but that depends entirely on my (limited) pool of inspiration. 
> 
> This is my first time doing an exercise like this, so please let me know what you think! But please do not post spoilers in the comments. 
> 
> For those that are new, welcome aboard! I hope you enjoy Milky Way Gaiden as we see how Rin and Sesshoumaru learn to understand and trust one another after years apart. 


	2. Moving On

**Moving On**

" _Do you think she'll wake up soon?"_

Rin's eyes flickered open. Her vision was somewhat blurry, but she could make out the familiar wood roof and the sounds of a bubbling meal over a crackling fire were familiar.

Kaede sat by the black pot, Kagome opposite her, conversing in low turns. They both turned towards her with smiles.

"Are you feeling better, child?" Kaede asked as Kagome scooched over to hold Rin's hand.

Rin sluggishly tried to sit up, but was pushed back. Kagome shook her head. "You need to rest. That was a pretty bad blow to the head that you took."

"I'd believe it," Rin brushed the back of her head and felt a lump. "How did I get out of there? I thought I was dead for sure."

Kagome frowned. "You mean you don't remember? That's not good."

"Well, I do remember getting hit in the head. It's everything after that which is a little fuzzy. I was running in the woods, I got hit, I went down," she concentrated, "I vaguely remember someone arriving?"

Hazy memories of white hair and golden eyes bubbled to the surface of her recollection. She suddenly shifted out of her bedroll, feeling a twinge of dizziness. "Is he outside? I need to go thank him."

Kagome and Kaede shared a glance. Kagome put a hand on her shoulder with a kind smile, "Rin-chan, that can wait until later."

Rin moved out from under her grip. "No. It's never too early to thank someone for saving my life. Besides, he'll need to leave soon, right?" She stood and moved to the door.

"Rin-chan, I don't think that's such a good idea…" Kagome's voice trailed off as the determined Rin headed outside.

A short distance away from the hut, she caught the glimmer of white hair in the breeze: a figure in the shade beneath a large tree. Rin set out at a reasonable pace, stopping only once or twice to recover from short spells of dizziness. Soon, she was standing right behind him.

Not sure what to say, she twiddled her thumbs before she bowed. "Thank you for saving me in that village," she looked up, "Inuyasha-sama."

Inuyasha turned around to face her, his expression suspicious. "Eh?"

Rin straightened up. "Thank you for saving me. If there's any way that I can make it up to you, please let me know."

His expression turned to one of complete and utter confusion. "Did you hit your head that hard?"

"That's rude!" Rin huffed in annoyance. "I'm just offering my thanks."

He crossed his arms. "And I'm telling you you've hit your head too hard." He sighed. "I'm not the one who rescued you."

Now it was Rin's turn to be confused. "But if it wasn't you, then… it couldn't possibly have been…" It dawned on her and she looked around in anticipation. "Is he still here?"

"No, that bastard left as soon as it was clear that you would be fine," Inuyasha snapped grumpily.

Of course. With a rush of disappointment, Rin felt wobbly on her feet, but the hanyou caught her before she fell. She smiled her gratitude as he helped her down onto a tree root.

Worry was written on his face. "Should I get Kagome?"

Rin shook her head, "I'll be fine. Although I suppose I should have stayed in bed."

Her smile was half-hearted. "But he was actually here? I kind of wish he stayed longer; it's been so long since I've had a chance to speak to him."

Inuyasha coughed awkwardly, searching for an excuse to change the conversation. "We should go see if Kagome has anything for your head."

Rin sighed. "It's alright. You don't have to spare me. I'm practically an adult and I can read the reality of a situation: I know he isn't coming back."

There was a brief moment of being startled before Inuyasha paused to give her a meaningful look, tinged with anger. He kept his mouth tightly drawn in a thin line.

"Inuyasha-sama," she said abruptly. "Please spill whatever it is that you're holding back. I don't need you to hold back on the account of my feelings. I can handle it."

"The bastard told us he was done with you. That this was the last time he'd have anything to do with you. No more presents, no more visits, nothing."

Not sure of what she'd just heard, Rin sat silent for a minute. Inuyasha peered at her, now worried. "Rin?"

"Did Sesshomaru-sama tell you this himself?" She asked carefully. A sharp emotion was pooling in the pit of her stomach. Exactly what, she wasn't sure, but it was doing a number on her headache.

"No, it was Jaken." Inuyasha growled. "He couldn't be bothered to say the words. He just put you down and walked out. It's like he's tossed you away."

Seeing his distress, Rin felt the negative emotions dissipate. "It is what it is. Honestly, I am not surprised, even if I did hope to part on less… distant terms." She leaned back to catch the sunlight peeking through the branches. "Thank you, to both you and Kagome-san for caring about me. It means a lot."

Not sure how to respond, Inuyasha's flustered bout of silence was interrupted by the arrival of Kohaku.

"Rin! Rin! Are you alright? I heard you'd come back, but Kagome-sama said you were hurt. Oh, hello Inuyasha-sama."

Inuyasha bowed himself out, letting Kohaku take his place on the root. "Come back in when you're ready. The old lady should have food ready by then."

The two teenagers watched the hanyou head back down the grassy slope towards Kaede's hut.

"What happened?" Kohaku wanted to be the first to know.

"Nothing all that terrible." She recounted the tales of her solo journey to the valley villages, of the things that she experienced.

"Wait, Sesshomaru-sama brought you back?" Kohaku's mouth dropped open in surprise. "What was he doing out there?"

Rin shrugged. "Coincidence? Why else would he have been in the exact area where that precise village was being attacked?"

"You sure he wasn't tracking you, ready to rush in and save the day?" He nudged her side slightly. They had a running joke about Rin's hero worship and slightly unrealistic expectations that she had carried with her since she was a child.

But her head was throbbing and she wasn't in the mood to bite into that humor.

"What's wrong?" Kohaku could sense her change in mood immediately. "If I said something-"

"He won't be saving me anymore," she frowned. "He was kind enough to bring me in this time, but then he made it perfectly clear that whatever our little arrangement was, it was over." She tried to force a smile on her face.

A smile that immediately slipped. "I won't lie: I feel pretty upset." As if saying the words out loud were a curse, she felt her mouth waver and her eyes tear up. "I guess I always assumed that he'd be back. He saved my life multiple times, we traveled together, he protected me in so many different ways. I thought that meant something."

Kohaku wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "And it did, for you at least. No idiot can take that away from you."

"You're right," she said, wiping away the sadness from her cheeks, letting herself brighten once again. "Besides, from a day to day perspective, nothing's changed."

"That's one way to look at it."

They sat in the quiet, enjoying the twitter of the birds and the rustle of the wind.

"Next time you have a job," Rin said, "take me with you."

"Rin, I don't know. Demon slayers live in a cruel world where injury and death are common."

She frowned. "That last time I checked, we live in the same world. What exactly makes the hardships you face any different than the ones that I experienced recently?"

Kohaku let out an exasperated sigh. "Demon slaying jobs are unpredictable, violent, and dangerous."

"What was that you said? Demon slaying jobs are exciting, adventurous, and interesting." Rin corrected him. "That is exactly what I need right now to forget loser lords who never come around."

"I think it would be better for you to keep doing the jobs from Kaede-sama and Kagome-sama." Rin looked at him sharply.

"How can you say that?" Rin asked, anger hedging into her voice. "In case you've forgotten, I've received training from Kaede-sama, Kagome-sama, _and_ you! Do you not trust me to hold my own?"

"Well, it's just that," Kohaku blushed and stammered, trying to find his words.

"At my age you were already fighting demons."

"But I was trained to fight them since I was little and I did it all the time."

"This is because I'm a girl, isn't it? That's not fair. If Kagoma-sama and Sango-san and Ayame-san can do it, then so can I." She frowned. "I am disappointed, Kohaku. I thought you knew better."

Kohaku bit his lip, wildly scrubbed at his head in irritation. "That's not - I don't think - " He let out an annoyed huff. "You're going to be in over your head."

She stubbornly brushed that concern aside. "That's for me to decide. I won't know until I try it myself."

Kohaku dropped his head in his hands. "There's no convincing you, is there?"

Smiling, Rin stood slowly. "Nope." She started to walk away and called over her shoulder, trying to ignore the residual pangs of her headache. "I'll just tell Kagome-san our plans."

Kohaku's head jerked back up, his face aghast. He scrambled to follow Rin back to the village.

* * *

Despite her bravado, Rin was hesitant to tell the others exactly what their plans were. The last thing she wanted right now was a fleet of worried friends hovering over her. She swore Kohaku to secrecy, that they would leave ahead of his next assignment to avoid suspicion.

It had taken Rin enough time to convince Kaede and Kagome that she was sufficiently well to travel that she almost wasn't able to join Kohaku. She finished making the preparations in time.

Early on the morning of her departure, Rin said good-bye and made her way to the shade of Inuyasha's tree to wait for Kohaku. There was dew on the grass and even the birds were quiet.

She knelt on the ground and scooped out a bit of earth. Dusting off her hands, she reached into her obi and pulled out a small cut of fabric with a faded pattern that might have once been gold and orange, although it was much too threadbare to make any sense of a design now.

She sat with her hands dropped in her lap, crouched next to the small hole she dug. Ever since the day that Sesshomaru had left her in the village, she had held onto her kimono, the first one he'd ever given her. Over the years, it had been patched until it no longer fit. Even then, she kept a tiny scrap on her at all times.

Her childish reasoning was that piece of fabric meant he always knew how to find her. When they traveled, how he knew where to rush in at the last second to save her. This was based entirely on her understanding of inuyoukai's scent tracking abilities, but the tiny swatch had been her good luck charm, a source of comfort, even if her logic was fallible.

"Well, Sesshomaru-sama," she dropped the fabric into the hole and pushed the dirt on top with a little pat of her fingers. "I always assumed you were waiting for me to grow up and then we would travel, but I'm tired of waiting.

She watched several birds glide overhead. "Kohaku is giving me an opportunity to try something new and I'm going to take it. I'm going to forge my own way - with or without you."

Remembering Inuyasha's words, about how the bastard _tossed_ her away. "I don't care what you or that little green kappa says. I'm leaving _you_ behind. Just you watch me. I don't know what I'll do or be in the future, but I won't be some pitiful waif that was abandoned in a fit of fancy."

The harsh words formed a steely armor around her heart as dark feelings started to pool in the pit of her stomach again. Concerns about her trip with Kohaku rose up: what if he too found her to be an annoyance? What if he also did not want anything to do with her?

"I don't want to be alone again," she whispered, the words out of her mouth before she could stop them. Never again did she want to return to that time when her parents were killed, when she was abandoned in a village, when she was chased down by wolves and the cold chill of death stole upon her.

The early dawn wind rustled through her hair, comforting her. Kohaku would never abandon her. None of them would. She had a family that loved her dearly and that gave her solace.

She gave the mound a final pat. " _Sayonara, Sesshomaru-sama."_

Someone came up behind her and Rin stood. "Kohaku, I'm ready."

* * *

Hours later, Rin and Kohaku drifted through the sky on Kirara's back. It was peaceful and quiet, but for Kohaku, it was painfully awkward. He opened his mouth to say something, but found his throat wouldn't work. He coughed once and tried again.

"A village has requested help with a demon that's been terrorizing the workers in their fields. It was last seen going this way."

Rin nodded from behind him, but didn't say anything. Kohaku could tell from the look in her eyes that she was miles away, wrapped in her own thoughts. He fidgeted as he tried to figure out how to broach the subject. In the end, he gritted his teeth and took a deep breath.

"Are you sure you want to be doing this?" he said.

Rin's focus snapped back to their flight and frowned. "Why are you bringing this up again? I'm not going to be a burden, I'll keep up with you." She smiled. "Even if it kills me. So I'm with you, whether you like it or not."

"I really wish we'd told Kagome-sama, or even aneue. In the event of...unintended consequences of this decision."

"And what are the consequences of this decision, exactly?" Rin raised a brow and placed a fist on her hip. "Were you not listening? I think you are being paranoid about my safety. I've taken down bandits before: I can protect myself."

Kohaku shook his head, but didn't say anything else. Rin's irritation subsided as curiosity took over.

"What is it? You're not one to keep secrets. Not from me at least."

"Well," Kohaku coughed once again. "I, um." He floundered for a few more seconds before he finished lamely. "Your armor looks nice today."

Rin rolled her eyes. "Thanks? It was the hand-me-down from Sango-san that you were able to steal without them noticing?"

"Ah, yeah." Kohaku swallowed and pressed on. "Are you sure there wasn't anyone you wanted to tell?"

Rin tried to peer around him, without success. "No. Do you think there's someone I should have told?"

"No one in particular. I was thinking that maybe there were friends from the village that you'd want to know where you are in case something happened."

"What?" Rin responded sharply out of surprise. "I mean, I occasionally hang out with the others from the village, but none that I would consider to be particular friends. Why do you ask?"

Kohaku steadied himself; he was in this all or nothing. "Well, the girls in the village seemed to think that you were...that is to say...you fancied one of the other boys. You might have wanted to tell...him…" his voice cracked and he snapped his mouth closed.

Rin brushed him off. "The girls in the village will say anything. For some reason, many of them don't like me."

"So there isn't anyone special?"

"For the last time, no." She pondered for a moment, "well, you're a special person to me." She smiled sweetly.

Kohaku blushed a bit, but he hid it behind a pretend gesture to scratch his nose.

"And of course there's Shippo-chan, Kagome-san, Inuyasha-sama," Rin counted off the special people in her life, effectively derailing Kohaku's determination from continuing much farther down the line of conversation.

He tried to make a decision: tell her how he felt and get the rejection over with, or not tell her and maintain their easy relationship.

"There! What was that?" Rin pointed excitedly at a patch of forest. Kohaku sighed in relief, glad that he could postpone his dilemma.

Kohaku looked at where she was pointing, but the trees looked identical to the other trees. "I don't see anything."

"I just saw a flag of color. What if it was the demon we're looking for?" Rin patted the large fire cat. "Kirara, take us down!"

"Rin, there's nothing there," Kohaku said, but he decided to humor her anyway. Maybe it would be good to get this out of her system so they could settle down to the proper demon hunting techniques.

The trio touched down and Rin slid off of Kirara's back. She looked around with increasing disappointment. "I promise you that I saw something white here. I honestly thought there might have been a demon."

"I believe you, "Kohaku said. "But, I think we should get back in the sky because we have a better vantage point from up there."

Rin pouted slightly, but then smiled apologetically. "Could you wait a few minutes? There is some...ah...personal business I need to attend to."

Kohaku nodded. "Don't go too far."

"I won't." Rin started walking away from the clearing, but as soon as she was out of eyesight, the flash of color again. "I knew it," she whispered. She darted after the pale figure without a second look back.

* * *

Bored, Kohaku leaned against Kirara. "What is taking her so long?"

Kirara playfully pushed him, as if to say that he shouldn't inquire about that sort of thing. Kohaku smiled, but then suddenly felt a tingle in the back of his neck. A demon was nearby. In the direction that Rin had gone.

"I think she should have been back by now." Kohaku pulled out his scythe. "Personal business or not, I'm going after her." Then he followed Rin's path into the forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a few chapters in me this weekend, so I busted these out to get us started. Poor Kohaku! I'm pretty sure he's in for some trying times ahead with a girl like Rin at the helm.  
> For those returning, you can probably tell we're already heading in a differently...flavored direction from the original story.  
> In either case, let me know what you think and I'll do my best to stay motivated to get you the chapters out quickly!


	3. Reunion

**Chapter 3: Reunion**

After minutes of a sprinting chase, Rin was starting to lose sight of the figure in front of her. Afraid that she would lose it entirely, she reached down to scoop up a rock as she ran. She called out: "Hey you!" and let the rock fly.

The figure stopped abruptly, rock striking it on the head. Slowly, it turned and Rin could see what she was up against: a gnarled, gray-skinned monster with red eyes and a mouth full of rows of pointed fangs that dripped with saliva.

Rin felt her insides churn partly with horror, mixed with anticipation. Taking on bandits was one thing, managing a youkai on her own was a bit different. Drawing her knives, which shook in her hands, she took a defensive stance. Kohaku would have scolded her for not immediately going on the offensive, but it was too late now.

The monster charged towards her. She threw her daggers in a panic, both harmlessly soaring past into the foliage. Rin stumbled back a pace before wheeling around and running away as fast as she should.

Over fallen trunks, past crumbling boulders, through dry ferns, she tried every trick Kohaku had taught her about evading a chase. But the demon was faster, clever, maybe more acquainted with this terrain. Her lungs labored as she fought to push through the pain creeping up her sides.

Then suddenly the area was completely devoid of flora and fauna as a great expanse of canyon opened in front of her. Skidding to a stop, she looked into the chasm that dropped into darkness before reaching the bottom. Rin felt butterflies well up in her stomach from the height and stepped back. Frantically she glanced to her left and right, but the split in the earth stretched as far as she could see.

Those precious few seconds were all the demon needed to catch up and a quick block to her stomach later, Rin was unconscious.

* * *

Kohaku raced through the dense forest, following Rin's tracks, which abruptly came to an end after the forest clearing, at the edge of a massive gorge. He scanned the area for signs of a struggle, his fears confirmed when he saw clawed demon footprints around the last set of Rin's steps.

His heart leapt into his throat as he saw traces of blood in the dirt - she was most likely hurt. There was no telling how long she might remain alive. Most demons in this region lived in the most barbaric sense imaginable. He would need to hurry.

From the looks of it, there were no signs of blood; it was likely that she was mostly unhurt. But, there was no telling how long the demon would keep her alive. Most demons in this area lived in the most barbaric sense imaginable. He would need to hurry.

But which way? Left? Right? Or straight across?

No point in wasting time waffling a decision that would be left to chance. Straight across it was.

"Kirara!" The cat was there in a second and he hopped on. "Let's go!"

As they became airborne, Kohaku hoped it wasn't too late.

* * *

Rin blearily opened her eyes and felt the room spin around her. She shut her eyes again, but this did not stop the spinning sensation. She blinked a few times and noticed that it was not the room that was spinning, but herself.

She appeared to be strung upside down in some sort of cave that was littered with bones. Rin quivered in fear as she noticed some human skeletons piled in a corner. A skittering noise drew her attention to the back of the cave, where she could make out a figure scrabbling around in the shadows.

As if noticing her gaze, the demon turned towards her and she caught a glimpse of eyes that now glowed yellow. Eyes that could be both gold and crimson - just like Inuyasha, just like Sesshoumaru. She shivered at the comparison.

Rin quickly shut her eyes so that the demon would think she was still asleep. It seemed to work because the demon went back to its rummaging.

Taking deep breaths and trying not to gag, Rin tried to think of a way out of this situation. It was that or become food.

Thankfully, the demon had not thought to tie her hands and she reached for one of her remaining pocket knives. Unfortunately, as she pulled it out of its sheath, it slipped through her fingers and clattered onto the floor.

The demon reacted to the sound instantly and moved quickly towards her, claws extended. Heart pounding, Rin waited until it was within a few steps. Then she whipped out her final blade, a small little thing stashed in her waistband and slashed at the demon's face.

A bloody welt appeared over one of the demon's eyes and it backed away, screaming in agony and clutching its useless eye. Rin took the opportunity to swing her torso up to her feet and cut herself loose. She collapsed onto the floor and tried to stand, but the blood flow to her feet had been cut off and she urgently tried to massage feeling back into her legs.

Having recovered from the original attack, the demon approached Rin, now fully enraged. Rin frantically tried to pull herself to her feet, as the demon lunged.

* * *

Luck was on Kohaku's side: right across the chasm he had been able to pick up a myriad of tracks: some demon and the distinct signs of something heavy being dragged. He followed the trail back to a cave and threw himself off of Kiara to rush into the cave.

"Rin!"

To his surprise, Rin was standing above the decrepit body of her attacker, knife dark with black blood. She smiled confidently as she wiped her forehead, streaking some of the wet fluid across her forehead.

"Well, that was a bit harder than I expected, but see? I told you that I could defend myself from monsters." She slid her pack off her shoulders and bent down to rummage through the now thoroughly damaged sack to find something to wipe the blade on.

Kohaku glanced down at the demon to identify the species. His eyes widened in alarm. Those particular demons always worked in pairs, so where was the other one?

He looked up just in time to see the second demon leap from the shadows, fangs bared. "Rin!"

Rin turned quickly, but lost her balance in the process, falling on the ground, her knife spiraling away into the darkness. Kohaku reached out, hoping to at least cover her, but before he could even move a step, the attack stopped.

Sesshoumaru stood in front of Rin, with the second demon in his clawed grip. The demon struggled, but Sesshoumaru glared at the creature and in no more than a second, he snapped its neck and tossed it aside. Then he stood a few paces away, watching the pair of them carefully.

Kohaku went over to Rin and helped her sit up. "Are you okay?" He leaned her against his chest, since she was in shock. Whether it was the aftermath of the demon attack or from the sudden appearance of her long absent guardian, he wasn't sure.

"Sesshoumaru-sama…" Rin whispered from within Kohaku's grasp. She tried to move towards the demon lord, but Kohaku held her fast. "Kohaku, what are you doing?" She struggled. "Let me go!"

She twisted her head to look at Sesshoumaru, "What are you doing here?"

"Go home. You do not belong here."

Rin froze. That unique blend of emotions was surging through her again, the most prominent of which was anger. Her head and shoulders dropped as Sesshoumaru started to walk out of the cave. Then her body started to quake.

"Rin?" Kohaku murmured, peering closely at his friend. "Are you okay?

He nearly missed having his nose smashed as Rin whipped her head up, her eyes angry and her face determined. "Oh no, you're not getting rid of me that easily."

She stormed out after the demon lord. "What are you playing at?" she shouted to an empty forest. Looking to the sky, she spotted the white form drifting away with the clouds. "Come back here, you bastard!" After a few seconds of silence, Rin turned back around to see Kohaku standing next to Kiara.

"Come on, Kohaku. We'll lose him if we don't leave now."

The demon hunter was hesitant. "Is that really the best idea? Maybe we should just let him go."

"What? So he can continue to stalk me like a loser and make an appearance to save the day when it's convenient for him? So he can say that he's done with me, but throw out remarks and orders about how I should live my life? I don't think so! He can either be a part of my life or not, not both."

She glared at her friend and squared her shoulders. "I'm not letting him get away with this."

She cupped her hands around her ears, listening for some far-off sound. She lifted two fingers to her lips and blew. A sharp pitch whistled through the air. Rin dropped her arm and waited. A minute later, she was rewarded for her effort.

The great two-headed dragon, Ah-Un, descended from the sky, with a whining rider. "Ah-Un, you stupid dragon, what do you think you are doing?" Jaken kicked his short legs against the beast with no result.

Smirking at Kohaku's stunned expression she explained, "Wherever he goes, Jaken is sure to follow - fairly far behind." She couldn't resist a full blown giggle as Kohaku gaped. Then she walked up to Ah-Un, extending her arms. The two heads sniffed her hands and then started to butt her gently with their heads. "It is good to see you again."

Having taken notice of the exchange, Jaken sputtered, "Rin, what are you doing here? I thought we left you back in that village!"

"Did someone tell me that I had to stay in said village? No? That's what I thought." She reached up and plucked Jaken from his seat, tossing him . "Thanks for bringing Ah-Un here."

She tossed Jaken towards Kohaku, who caught him messily. "Kohaku, take care of the kappa for me." She jumped into the saddle and shook the reins. With a rush of wind, Ah-Un took to the sky. "Baka-sama, you are not getting away with this - not again."

The ground fell away as Rin and the dragon sped after the figure in the distance. The wind whistled in her ears as they started to gain ground. It was clear that Sesshoumaru hadn't detected them, or at the very least, didn't care that they were following.

"Hey!" Rin called out, certain that Sesshoumaru would pick out her voice, even at the extended range.

He ignored her.

Furious, Rin urged Ah-Un to fly faster, but they could only match Sesshoumaru's pace at best. Rin could see that they would not be able to make up the distance, especially now that he was going full speed. Was he seriously going to pretend that she wasn't here?

Well, drastic times called for drastic measures. It was a good thing she had the necessary materials prepared, although this was not the scenario she had planned for.

Quickly, she pulled a length of rope from her shredded pack and tied one end around her waist. Then, she looped the other end around Ah-Un's reins. She took the opportunity to glance over the side of the dragon and gulped at the distance. The rope wouldn't provide much protection, if worse came to worst.

"Please let me be right about this." Rin took a deep breath and then swung herself out of the saddle.

A scream had barely passed her lips when she stopped falling. Still reeling from the heady rush of having just jumped into midair, it took her a minute for her vision to clear. Once it did, she latched onto folds of white and red fabric. "I caught you!"

Irritated, Sesshoumaru glared. "Let go of my robe. I am putting you back on the creature and he will take you back to the little demon slayer."

"No you won't." Rin held on tighter. "I'm not going anywhere until we talk."

The deadpan Sesshoumaru almost scowled. "We have nothing to discuss."

Rin frowned, but refused to let go of his kimono. "Really? Because I think we have a fair amount to discuss. Such as: what was that back there? What were you thinking?"

"You were going to die. I stopped that from happening."

"And what gave you that right?"

He blinked. Before he had a chance to respond, she released one hand and pointed an accusing finger at him. "You told the others that you were done with," she gestured broadly at their floating forms, " _us_. With me. What makes you think I wanted to be rescued by you?"

She tilted her head and glowered. "You left me in Inuyasha-sama's village to grow up and guess what - I did. I'm an adult now: I take care of myself, I defend myself, I make my own decisions."

She could feel her anger rising as she continued to rant. "I don't need to understand your reasoning for what you did; I've accepted that's just what you do. But if you're going to walk away, don't do such a half-assed job of it. Stay out of my life."

"If your concern is that I'll get hurt, then you should have thought of that before you left me behind for good." Rin took a breath. "I don't want you to save me ever again."

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened in shock as her tirade dropped off.

"I don't want your concern, your pity, your thoughts. Live your life the way you want and let me do the same."

"If that is what you wish."

Rin felt hot tears prick her eyes. She hadn't expected this conversation to be rosy, by any means, but the rejection still cut her deeply, now hearing it from his own lips. Had she really been blind to the reality of the situation after all these years?

"Bring me down. I'm done." She fiddled with the rope, letting the knot loosen and the length of rope dangled from its tethered end around Ah-Un's reins.

Silently, they descended until she was close enough to hop into the leaves that littered the forest floor. Stepping back, she let go of his robe and smiled bitterly. "You really are the worst, you know. Who makes a promise to a little girl who would wait over six years for you to return? Making her wait to go on traveling adventures, only to abandon her in the end. I guess Kohaku was right - demons are dangerous."

She gave him a curt nod and then flounced her way out of the clearing.

Kohaku dropped down beside her, sliding off Kiara. "Rin - what were you thinking? That was incredibly dangerous, what you did-"

He was cut short as she crushed her face into his chest, her breath hitching. "What happened?"

She shook her head, not willing to say the words. _Nothing. Everything_. Her face was flushed with embarrassment for having behaved like a child. _Some adult I am, throwing a tantrum at my age._

"Did he tell you why?" Kohaku asked, guessing at the words the pair might have exchanged.

"He didn't say anything." _And I don't think I would have listened, even if he had._

Rin took a deep breath and rubbed her face against her sleeves. A second later, she was able to regain her composure. "Alright, so we killed those two demons, what's next?"

Now Kohaku's eyes were ready to pop. "Are you out of your mind? You were nearly killed. We are going straight back to the village and then I am leaving before Inuyasha-sama or Kagome-sama murder me."

"Not this again," she huffed exasperatedly. "I've heard all your arguments about how the demon world is dangerous and how I don't know how dangerous it is." She crossed her arms. "True, I had a bit of a tight spot, but you can't deny that I didn't take care of the first one on my own."

She pressed on despite Kohaku's growing frown. "I'm going to need a much better reason than 'it's dangerous' if you want me to stay, safe and sound in the village."

Theatrically, she looked at her nails in a bored fashion. "If you don't let me travel with you, I swear you'll regret it. I promise I will get up to no good every single day and I shall write to you about all of my exploits and it will drive you mad with worry for my well being."

Kohaku's mouth drew into a thin line. Where was the sweet little girl he'd known growing up? When had she become this monstrosity?

Rin hid a grin. She had no such intention of making him suffer in such a way, but she also had no intention of staying in the village permanently either. Reinforcing her stance once more for good measure couldn't hurt. A year or so of traveling around and demons laying should be enough for her to figure out what she wanted to do. She wouldn't stick around him forever.

"I already said yes, didn't I?" He cracked her a half-smile. How could he possibly say no? She was the girl of his dreams after all - he wouldn't have her any other way. He patted Kiara on the back. "Should we get going?"

"Great! I'm glad that's settled!" She cheerily hopped onto Kiara's back, which is when she noticed that Kohaku was taking out the rope from his pack and holding it out to her. "What's that for?"

"Well, I thought you might need that, in case you fall off again."

Her smile disappeared as she quickly caught on to what he was hinting. "I purposely jumped off the dragon - I didn't just fall off!"

"Whatever you say." Kohaku chortled as they rose into the air, heading back to the village to see what other jobs were available.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rin and Sesshomaru finally reunite, but I don't think that conversation was what either of them wanted or needed. Don't worry - Sesshomaru isn't gone (not by a long shot).
> 
> Let me know what you think. I'm interested to hear from first time readers, but also for those who read the other version of this (the original Milky Way).


End file.
